Beyond mere prepping

So you've got enough guns and ammo to outfit a platoon of Marines for a prolonged engagement, enough food to stuff yourself for 3 years, and sufficient fuel to power a battle cruiser for a Pacific patrol.

But how prepared are you mentally and physically? How is your cardio conditioning? How strong are your muscles, attachments, and joints? How long can you go without sleep and still function? What skills do you have for trade? Are you dependent on processed food, prescription drugs, or artificial physical enhancement to an unreasonable degree?

having guns, gear, and grub is great. But real preparation is mindset and investing in yourself as well as your stuff.

I'm not ready!

You know in those terms some here are screwed. Age and years of hard work or bad practices have left them with disabilities and requirement for medication that can't be overlooked. Good advice for everyone else.

Tim

Myself, I can't run more than two miles right now. It was embarrassing to find that out. Back in training.

Tim

Attachment 120186
I try to work on that.
Biking, Hiking, and kicking a ball around with some friends kids. Keeps everything moving like it should.
I've got a while to go before old age hits, but young age hit harder. Too much stupid in previous years.

Everyone needs to do an unbiased assessment of themselves to truly understand how prepared they are. In my experience most people think prepping means having things ie guns, ammo, food, generators, camo clothes, bug out vehicles, etc. The real preparations for long term events are knowledge, skills, tools, information, attitude, and many other intangibles.

What knowledge and information can you access without the internet?

What skills do you possess that people will be willing to trade food, medicine, and other items you need for?

As I get older and less able I am putting more emphasis on knowledge and skills; I may be old broke down but I am still valuable. And your knowledge and particularly your skills can not be taken from you like things.

Blacksmith (guess my skill)

+1 Blacksmith. As a lifelong tinkerer I have trained myself in a number of skills. Mechanic, Carpenter, Hunter, Fisherman. Buuut.....I have become complacent about my physical wellbeing. I'm not overweight. ...just out of shape. As time goes on, some of us just get run down.

Skills and physical fitness are the bread and butter of prepping. Don't need a fancy gym walk cut wood swim whatever and learn skills by doing that you'll need and can barter with, gardening/farming raising live stock leather work of course castinv / reloading carpentry tree cutting wrenching ect. I remember one time reading about a farmer in the bush wars in Rhodesia in the 70s or early 80s who had a range rover with spare tires and some don't recall how much fuel for trade for 1000 rounds 308 and 1000 canning jars and lids.

I have mentioned it before, what some call prepping is just living to some, and to most folks not really that many years ago.

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Originally Posted by starmac

I have mentioned it before, what some call prepping is just living to some, and to most folks not really that many years ago.

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Self reliant rural living. Build community. Learn useful skills. Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Don't do anything stupid.

In reality, IMO, nobody is truly ready for the unknown! To many variables!
1Shirt!